Shiftable support for ironers



Nov. 7, 1950 K 2,528,595

SHIFTABLE SUPPORT FOR IRONERS Filed April 50, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l TOR.

Nov. 7, 1950 1.. M. KAHN SHIFTABLE SUPPORT FOR IRONERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1946 Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates, to ironing or pressing machines and more particularly to a powerdriven ironing machine of the roll type or modifications thereof.

Such machines generally comprise a heated ironing shoe adapted to iron or press the fabric against a rotatable roll. The ironing of flat fabrics or garments imposes no particular problem but. curved articles such as shirt collars, sleeves, dresses, ruffled curtains, etc. offer considerable difficulties if it. is attempted to iron them in the ordinary manner. It is apparent that such ironing would produce creases. in curved articles. In

order to overcome this. difiiculty, the art generally practices the end ap lication of fabrics in respect to the roll. Thus, a sleeve or other curved article may be applied endwise of the roll which may thereupon fit. inside the curved article so as to permit it to be ironed without creases, or the curved portions of articles such as collars and cuffs may be placed between the roll and heated shoe while they balance of thearticle is free thereof. Since the operator, is generally seated in front of the machine, it is apparent that she must move in her seat and lean toward the free end of the roll in order to perform the above operation. The roll is usually sufliciently elongated for wide articles so that the operator is required to move to a substantial extent in order to reach the open end of the roll. This is anifestly both a time and energy consuming operation. It should be. observed that, machines of this type may be used in commercial laundries wherein many articles are continuously ironed by one operator. The burden imposed by the requirement of moving toward the end of the machine each time, that. a curved article or a curved. part of the substantially flat article must be ironed, is considerable.

Bearing the foregoing in mind, it is, an object f he p e invent on. pr v de. a. rotatin ironing or pressing machine which will make poss ble he. rea m nt of, r d articles w thout requi ing the. perator t deviate from a fixed. position which is adaptable for all kinds of op rat o s... h sa in in t m an energy e f cted the eb re ul s in. s f t ue f r h o era r while ncreasi g 11 prod ct fac o sv w ch ar generally g y r ed. and. so t aft r in the industry.

O he objec s of m invention. i be apparen from the following description, it being understood that the-above, general statements of the obi s o my inventio ar i tended to d r b and. not limit itin ma ner.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end View, partly broken away, of an ironing machine constructed according to the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a top View thereof illustrating the apparatus in rotating position for presentingthe end thereof to the operator.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the machine in the normal position.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an end view illustrating the normal position of the operator as viewed along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a modification illustrating an adaptation of the invention to a portable type of such ironing machines.

Figs. 7, 7A and 7B are top views illustrating a modified embodiment of .the invention and the positions of th ironing roll in adapting the machine to end operation.

Figs. 8, 8A and 8B are top views of another modified embodiment of the invention and illustrate the positions of the ironing roll in adapting the machine to end operation.

Figs. 9 and 9A are top views of still another embodiment of the invention and illustrate the positions of the ironing roll in adapting the machine to end operation.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, the machine is illustrated as being supported on a table I5 having legs [6 which may have an offset portion IT; in order to provide the table with a degree of stability. Supported by the table I5 is a machine base I8 upon which is mounted the roll I9 and shoe 20 as well as the gooseneck element 2. I.

The usual gooseneck casing element 2| is secured in any suitable manner to the base l8, such gooseneck casing element 2| serving to house, in whole or in part, an electrical motor 22 and conventional transmission means therefrom so as to effect and control the rotation of roll I9. The disposition and construction of the motor and transmission means are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described herein.

The actuation of shoe 2!! is controlled by shoe operating arm 23 disposed in slot 24 formed in both the base l8 and table I5 when the roll is in the normal position. The lower end of shoe operating arm 23 is received in a slot of member 25 so as to be securely connected thereto. A. hollow control arm 26 is secured to pivotally mounted member 25 so that. the mov ments of said ntro a m 6. are ra s itte through member 25 to the shoe operating arm Memher 25 serves to receive the electrical lead wires 21 as they travel from a slot into the hollow of control arm 28. Member 25 is a short steel rod which is pivotally mounted, as by the ivot point 3|, across the slots 23. Member 25 is itself slotted to receive and engage the arm 23 and it is likewise connected to control arm 26 so that it serves to transmit the motion thereof to the arm 23 and shoe 2B.

A handhold member 28 is connected to the control arm 28 so as to permit manual guidance thereof. A switch device 29 having the usual pair of electrical contacts is arranged to be actuated by the rotation of handhold member 28 as indicated by the arrow of Fig. 3. Rotation, therefore, of member 28 may serve to close the electrical circuit of motor 22, applying electricity thereto from the plug 30 and effecting the rotation of roll I9. Conventional methods may be utilized for heating the shoe 20 as by electric wires in the operating arm 23. The actuating structure for the shoe 28 is not shown in detail, the operation thereof being well understood. Briefly, when the handhold member 28 is pushed away from the operator, as indicated in Fig. 1, the shoe operating arm 23 is pivoted forward from the pivot point 3I in the manner of a lever. The shoe 20 is thereupon brought inwardly so as to press against the roller I9. Conversely, when the handhold member 28 is pulled toward theoperator, the shoe 20 is released.

The present invention provides means for reorienting the roll and shoe structure so as to cause-the free end thereof to face the operator as the operator remains seated on the stool 32 disposed at the front of the machine. Accordingly, the machine including its base I8 is arranged to pivot or swing on the table I so as to turn 90 degrees in respect thereto. Simultaneously, means are provided to bring the endof roll I9 into a position substantially flush with theoperators side of table I5 so.thatit'assumes substantially the same vertical position as norformed in base I8,

mally occupied by the side of the roll and therer;-

fore does not jut out and disturb the operator or cause her to move backward. Thus, a pivot rod 35 is secured in the table I5 so as to permit the base, I8 to rotate in respect thereto. Pivot rod 35-is disposed through a suitable bore in table [5 and its upper portion 36 is received in a recess of base I8. The upper portion 35'thereof may be threaded, if desired, so as to mate with a complementary threaded cavity in base I8. In order to provide stability for the ironing machine during its rotating travel and in either of its positions, an arm 31 which may be integral with the pivot rod 35 extends along the underside of table I5 and bears thereagainst so as to providesupport for the ironing machine. A ball 38 rotatably maintained in a recess 38 of arm 31, acts as an antifriction member and describes an arcuate pathon the underside of table I5 as the machine is rotated. If desired, a groove may be formed in said underside so as to define the arcuate path of the ball 38 and guide the movement of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 4, an arcuate slot 40 may be formed in the table I5'so as to permit the motor 22 to swing along with the ironing machine to the end operating position. Such slot 42 is only necessary when the motor 22 is under or has a portion thereof extending through the table I5. If the motor 22, however, is confined to the gooseneck casing element 2I, the slot 40 will 10 unnecessary.

The operation of the machine will'be understood from the above description. II" the operator desires to actuate the roller I9, she will rotate handhold member 28 so as to close the electrical circuit of motor 22. The operator may then pull or push the member 28 depending upon whether the shoe 28 is to be engaged with the roll I9 or released therefrom. These specific details form no part of the present invention and are conventional and well known in the art in many forms. When an article having a degree of curvature therein is to be ironed, the operator need merely swing the machine on its pivot 35 as by grasping the left-hand side of base I8 and pulling it toward her. Similarly, she may push against the gooseneck casing element 2I so as to swing it rearwardly. Thus, from a first position where the respective longitudinal axes of the roll it and support I5, are parallel, the machine will assume a second position illustrated in Fig. 2 and its end will face the operators side of support I5 and will be flush with the edge thereof as illus-' trated in Fig. 5. The base I8 is thus swungin a horizontal plane over an arc of substantiall '90 degrees in order to present the free end of roll I9 toward the operators seat whereas formerly a side portion of the roll I8 was thus presented and the roll is rearwardly'moved in order that, its free end occupies substantially the same'vertical plane as occupied by that side of the roll which faced the operator before the roll was' swung. In other words, if both positions could be assumed at the same time, the end of, the roll nal axis of the support. The machine which is superimposed in the normal position over the support I5 so as to be substantially co-extensive therewith is swung to a position wherein its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to that, of the.

support in its normal position. It will be observed that by disposing the pivot rod a dis-f tance from the left end of the table I5 along its further side edge which approximates the. width of the table I5 upon which the base I8 rests, the front end of the base I8 is brought substantially flush with the operatorsside of support or table I5. The free end of roll I9 is thereby madecon veniently available to the operator for the inQ sertion of curved articles thereon; V 1

In Fig. 6 is illustrated the application of the above principles .to a portable type ofirpning machine resting on an ordinary table Tffljhe ironing machine has its roll I9, shoe 20,.gooseneck casing 2| and base 45 'on its own support 39. Upon base or goose-neck support 4511s mounted the hand control member 46. ,A pivot rod 47 is secured tothelsupport 49 and is re.- ceived into a complementary member in base 45. so as to provide a pivot point for the portable ironing machine. The improved constructioniis thus'made adaptable to this, well knowntypepf machine and is considered -animportant aspect of the invention. The machine'niay be removed as desired from the table T which need'not form part of the structure but may beanytype of support. Pivot rod 47 is preferably, but. not necessarily, so disposed in relation to the support 49 and base or goose-neck support 45 that the end 48, which may be referred to as the free end and because of its proximity to. the free 1 d 9 I9 1 19, may be swung so that it is substantially flush with the operators side of sup--. port 49. The ironing operations are conducted as in the previous embodiment it being only necessary to push against the power drive casing 2| in order to swing the apparatus from a normal ironing'.position where a side portion of the roll is accessible to an operator, to a position where the free end of the roll is thus accessible. In Figs. 7, 7A and 7B is illustrated a modified embodiment wherein the ironing machine may be swung with a pivot pin traveling in a slot dispo'sed'substantially centrall ofthe support; The support '50 i formed with a pivot receiving slot 5|, the pivot point or rod 52 siwingably connetting ii base eqo n q u r 53 "i h support 50. In'ordr to simplify the constructionf o f slot thehandholdmember 54 is mechm-Leary connected to the shoe operating arm through the power drive casing 56 which houses the motor for the roll 5'! as in the first embodiment. Suc h mechanical construction wherein the shoe operating arm 55 is actuated by the handheld member 54 through the casing 55 is conventional, the arm 55 being disposed above the base 53 together. with the casing 55.

The handhold member 54 similarly serves as an electrical switching means and is connected to the arm 58 which enters the casing 56. The end 59 of arm 58 is arranged to travel in an arcuate slot 60 so as to permit the arm 58 and casing 5li to travel together towards the rear side edge of support 5|]. When the support 53 is swung in the direction of the arc of Fig. '7, the ironing 'n achine f rst assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 7A where the free end'of roll 51 faces thev operator's position. The pivot rod 52 has rotated but has not moved along the slot 5|. At this point, the operator pushes the base 53 away from her as indicated by the arrow of Fig. 7A so that the rod 52 travels toward the other end of the slot 5| as illustrated in Fig. 73. It will be apparent, therefore, that the free end of the roll 51 is rendered conveniently accessible to the operator without requiring her to move in her seat.

In Figs. 8, 8A and 83, an alternative method of accomplishin the objective is illustrated which does not bring the base toward the operator during the swinging thereof to any appreciable extent. Utilizing the method of shoe operation of the first embodiment, the handheld member 62 is arranged to actuate the shoe operating arm 63 through the arm 64. A pivot pin 65 which, as in the previous embodiment, is secured to the underside of the base 66, is arranged to rotate and travel in slot 61 formed in the support 68. The ironing machine is made to present its free end to the operator by first pushing the base 66 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8 so that the machine assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 8A. The base 66 may then be pivoted about the pivot pin 65 as indicated by the arrow of Fig. 8A so as to bring the free end of the machine towards the operator, as illustrated in Fig. 8B. In order to accommodate the travel of shoe arm 63, a substantially D-shaped slot 69 is formed in the table 68.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 9A, a method of accomplishin the objective of the previous two embodiments with a single swinging movement is illustrated. Thus, the support is formed with a cutout H which accommodates the travel of a shoe operating arm disposed in slot 12 of iii) base l3. Support 10 is formed with an arcuate slot M in which the pivot pin 15 rides. In order to bring the free end of the machine adjacent to the operators sitting position, the base 13 is swung in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 9 whereupon the pivot pin 15 simultaneously rotates and travels rearwardly as guided by slot 14 so that the machine assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 9A. In order to lend a degree of stability or. security to the rotatable base 13, a bracing plate 16 is secured thereto in the same manner as the arm 3'! of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5.. Two anti-.friction rollers 11 bear against the underside of support 10 to provide such stability.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made therefrom without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine having a shoe, an elongated roll and a motor operatively connected to one end of said roll, the other end of the roll being free, an elongated support for said ma- 1 chine, a pivot pin connected to said machine at horizontal plane until said axis of said roll is.

perpendicular to and bisects the longitudinal sides of said suppnrt whereby a second position is assumed where the unconnected or free end of said roll faces in a direction which is faced by a side of said roll when in said first position, said slot formed in said support being effective in permitting said pivot pin and machine to be moved ,rearwardly relative to said support until the unconnected end of said roll is substantially flush with and disposed centrally of a side or Working edge of said support.

2. In an ironing machine having a shoe, an elongated roll and a motor connected to one end of said roll, the other end being free, an elongated support for said machine, said support having one side thereof adapted to face an operator of the machine, a pivot pin spaced horizontally from said motor and connected to said machine, said support being formed with an arcuate slot therein in which said pivot pin rides, said pivot pin being operative to maintain said roll and support in a first position where they are in a superimposed relationship with their respective longitudinal axes parallel, said pivot pin being further operative to permit said roll together with its shoe and motor to revolve in a horizontal plane while simultaneously moving rearwardly in relation to said operators side of said support until said axis of said roll is perpendicular to and bisects the longitudinal sides of said support whereby a second position is assumed where the unconnected or free end of said roll faces the operators side of said support, said arcuate slot formed in said support being effective in permitting simultaneous and lengthwise and rearward movement in relation to said operators side of said support until the free end of said roll is substantially flush with and centrally of the side or working edge of said support while substan- 7. tially maintaining said roll against forward movement past the edge of said operators side of said support during said simultaneous move ment.

3. 'In an ironing machine having a shoe, an elongated roll and power drive means connected to one end thereof, the other end being free, a mounting base for said machine, a support for said machine, said mounting base and support being substantially rectangular and having a normal relationship wherein their respective longitudinal axes are parallel and wherein the length of said roll extends along and is substantially flush with the side or working edge of said support, and pivot means connected to said base and spaced horizontally inwardly from said power drive means and connecting said support to said base so that said support pivots at an inward point thereof relative to said power drive means, said support having a slot formed therein in which said pivot means rides, said pivot means being operative to permit said base together withsaid roll to move in a horizontal plane relative to said support until said longitudinal axes are perpendicular, said pivot means permitting such a degree of rearward movement of said base in conjunction with said movement in a horizontal plane whereby the other or free end of said roll is brought substantially flush with and centrally of said side gitudinal axes are parallel and wherein the length of said roll extends along and is substantially flush with the side or working edge of said support, and pivot means spaced horizontally inwardly from said power drive means and connecting said support to said base so that said support pivots at an inward point thereof relative to said power drive means, said pivot means being operative to permit said base together with said roll to move in a horizontal plane relative to said support until said longitudinal axes are perpendicular, said pivot means permitting such a degree of rearward movement of said base in conjunction with said movement in a horizontal plane whereby the other or free end of said roll is brought substantially flush with and centrally of said side or working edge of said support, and a bracing arm connected to said base and acting against the underside of said support to stabilize said-base in relation to said support during said movement in a horizontal plane and inthe position of said base achieved thereby. V

r LEO M. KAHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Kellermann Feb. 4, 

